Vitale predicting very competitive, awesome, tournament

Tuesday

Mar 19, 2013 at 6:01 PM

Doug Fernandes

The vocal cords of Dick Vitale on Tuesday really were PTPers, if you consider a 6 a.m. press Q&A session prime time.

That's when queries from media outlets around the country began flying at the ESPN college basketball analyst and Lakewood Ranch resident. We're about to be immersed neck deep in March Madness, Vitale's time of the year.

But Dickie V may have had his most fun of the day at the Georgia Aquarium, where the 73-year-old went head to snout with the dolphins housed there in picking the tournament winners.

Balls labeled with the competing schools were tossed into the water, the dolphins' picks determined by whichever ones they dived upon.

Vitale versus a team of Flippers. If he lost the championship game prediction, Vitale agreed to return to the Aquarium following the tourney to, among other duties, feed the dolphins and scrub the deck.

That seems unlikely. OK, no way does Vitale have to buy knee pads. The dolphins forecasted a title matchup of Iowa State versus San Diego State, the Aztecs carried off the court victorious warriors.

“I'm in great shape,'' Vitale said. “I'd have a better chance of beating Brad Pitt as the sexiest guy in Hollywood.''

Every year, it seems, Vitale or some other college hoop maven has a complaint about the teams comprising the field. Either this one shouldn't have made it, or that one should.

Not this year. Vitale feels the selection committee rewarded greatness rather than mediocre schools chosen on the basis of several impressive victories.

As it is, Vitale calls this tournament the most wide-open he's ever seen. The four top-seeded teams (Kansas, Indiana, Louisville and Gonzaga) combined for a whopping 18 regular-season losses.

“I would say it's been incredible,'' he said. “The regular season has not been quality, because the quality isn't the same as it was in the 1980s when all of the players stayed in school, but now the competition has been so keen, it's been unreal.

“This year has been, by far, the best and most competitive I've seen in my 34 years, and that leads me to believe we are going to have one unbelievable tournament.''

As such, Vitale has his tournament sleepers. He believes N.C. State and Minnesota are two, each with “just enough to beat anyone.''

He also has first-round warnings for Michigan and Marquette. Their opponents, South Dakota State and Davidson, respectively, won't be intimidated.

“Those teams are dangerous,'' Vitale said. “As wide open as it is, there are a lot of teams capable of winning two games and getting to the Sweet 16, but there aren't many teams, I don't believe, that can win six games in a row and win the national title.

“I think you can go anywhere from 15 to about 20 teams that have that potential. I think when it's all said and done, it's going to be Rick Pitino cutting the nets down, Louisville winning the national title.''

And for the first time in his Hall of Fame broadcasting career, Vitale will supply the color for the semifinals and final, for ESPN International.

Dickie V needn't worry. In any language, “Awesome, baby'' never gets lost in translation.